Secrets & Lies
by Writer347
Summary: Things have not been going well for Oliver and Felicity lately so he turns to an old friend for some advice. Oliver gets more then he bargained for and it leaves Felicity devastated and heart broken. Rated T for now but may change as the story goes on. Oliver cheating story, don't read if you're not going to like it...
1. The Night

**Hello readers! I'm a new writer on fanfiction but I have been reading for a long time. This is the first story I'm posting on here and I really hope that you all enjoy it. I would really appreciate your feedback so please review.**

 **Sadly I do not own Arrow or any of the characters featured in the TV Series or the Comics.**

 **Happy reading!**

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 **Secrets & Lies  
Chapter 1  
The Night**

 **Oliver  
** I haven't seen Felicity all week because she's been at Palmer Tech from 8am until the about Midnight every day. I get she's the CEO and everything I don't even really speak to her during the day because she doesn't answer my calls of texts, if she does she just tells me she can't speak right now and ends the conversation. I really need her to help me with some Arrow things that the rest of us can't do but she's been so busy at work and I don't even know why. I've tried asking her but she just keeps telling me not to worry about it or it's nothing that I would be interested in… I'm always interested in things that she does. I am tired of her avoiding me and I've been trying to figure out if maybe I have done something wrong for her to push me away so much like this but I don't think I've done anything. She literally changed overnight and I am more then worried about it, I've asked everyone to try and speak to her but everyone is getting the cold shoulder like I am.

One thing I do know is that when everyone has gone home Ray gets into the building and the two of them are working on something. I am jealous of Ray and it scares me that she might leave me one day for him. He's better suited to her then what I am, he can give her anything she wants and he has more in common with her. The three conversations I've had with her this past week have all been about Ray and how great he is and how amazing he is. I'm sick of hearing about him and it's driving me crazy. Maybe she was having second thoughts about us and she does want to end things but doesn't know how to go do it. I know how happy Ray made her when they were together and I know how much he still loves her. He will do anything for her and make her happy, he really can give her the world and I can't.

When we brought Ray back to his original size after everything that happened, I don't know why he stayed in town. He doesn't want his company back and he doesn't want anyone knowing he's back from the dead. Staying in a town named after you is probably the wrong way to go if you don't want people to know you're here. I'm gonna be honest… I never really liked Ray. Yes he was never bad to me or anything but there was just something about him. He irritates me and now I wanna punch his lights out for keeping Felicity away from me. I know she stays so late with him because he asks her to and she's to nice to say no. She will do anything to help her friends if they ask.

I spoke to Diggle about it but he thinks that I'm being crazy and there's nothing for me to worry about. He thought I was thinking Felicity was having an affair with Ray but I know she would never do that, she's not the type. When I explained to Diggle that maybe she might be having second thoughts about us he shot it down right there. He kept going on about how much Felicity loved me and cared for me. I know she loves me but does she love Ray too? If she does love Ray, what's stopping her from packing her things and leaving me? No one would blame her. I mean I'm a vigilante with nothing that lurks in the shadows at night. Ray is a billionaire that everyone loves. He's like this lovable little puppy.

The only person who seems to understand what I'm talking about is Laurel funnily enough. She told me she knows how I feel because I made her feel the same way when we were together. I was such a dick to her when we were younger and I know I can never make it up to her, I practically destroyed her life and her family's life. I feel bad for everything that I've done and if I could go back in time there are a lot of things that I could do differently. I never wanted to hurt Laurel, that was never my intention. I did love her believe it or not but I loved the party life more. Laurel wanted to settle down and get married and have babies. At the time all I wanted to do was pretend I was 18 years old again with Tommy. She put up a lot when she was with me.

Laurel said she has tried to speak to Felicity but she's got the same treatment as everyone else. She won't answer her calls or texts or just says she's really busy and can't talk. I've been thinking of just going down there to speak to her directly but I know if go down there we will probably just end up fighting and I don't wanna fight with Felicity. I've been staying up all week through the night waiting for her to come home but she just says she's tired and goes to bed. All I want to do is talk to her and find out what's going on… maybe I can help her with something. I can be useful for some things. I know I don't have the brains like her but I can do other things. I wanna spend time with her, if she wanted me to shovel horse shit I would.

Speaking of Felicity, the front door opened and closed. Felicity came up the stairs and saw me sitting in bed. I put the book I was not really focusing on down and really looked at her. She looked tired and worn down. She smiled at me before going into the bathroom for a few minutes, she came back out and was ready for bed.

"Felicity can I talk to you about something?" I asked her as she climbed into bed.

"Can we talk tomorrow? I am really tired after working all day" She answered smiling.

"We won't talk tomorrow and you know it" I stated. Felicity sat up in bed and I sat up also. She turned to face me and she looked confused "We won't talk tomorrow. All week I've been trying to talk to you but you keep brushing me off like I'm just an employee of yours or something" I told her.

"I'm sorry I'm not around to give you attention 24/7 Oliver but I have a company to run" She said angrily.

"I don't want attention off you 24/7 but I want more then three conversations in one week" I replied.

"Oliver I am too tired for this fight right now" She told me.

"So you're blowing me off from another conversation?" I questioned.

"We will talk tomorrow" She stated. She laid back down in bed and put her back to me "Goodnight Oliver" She forced out and sighed.

Well that conversation went far. This is what happens every time I've tried to have a conversation with her. I don't wanna fight with her either but I want to know what she's been up to and why it has to be so secretive, the two of us agreed that there would be no secrets kept between us. This is all down to Ray. Maybe I should just speak to him and tell him how it is, he might understand that he's ruining my relationship with Felicity. I don't think Ray is intentionally trying to split us up but if I just explain to him what's going on he might back off a bit… well I'd be happy if he just figured out where it was he wanted to go and he left.

Felicity's breath evened out meaning that she had fallen asleep. That didn't take long. I was too wound up to get to sleep so I got out of bed and went downstairs and onto the balcony. I looked out at Star City and tried to calm myself down. Nothing seemed to be working, I need some space away from this apartment and try to figure something out. I grabbed my phone and called the one person that understood.

"Hey Ollie" She said as she answered.

"Hey. Did I wake you up?" I asked.

"No I'm not even home yet. I'm just about to leave the police station. Is everything ok?" She asked.

"Erm… not really. Would you mind I came over? I really need to talk to someone and get some advice" I said to her.

"Yeah that's fine. I'll be home in about 20 minutes" She replied.

I got to Laurel's apartment at the same time she pulled up. We both walked up to her apartment together and once inside we went straight to the couch.

"Is Felicity home yet?" She asked.

"Yeah… she's out for the count" I replied "I left her note to say I had gone out in case she wakes up but I doubt she will" I added.

"Did you try and speak to her when she got home?" She asked.

"Yeah but she just said she was to tired as usual and put her back to me. I am so sick of this. I don't even feel like I'm in a relationship anymore, she feels more like a roommate then anything else. She doesn't seem to want to spend time with me. She doesn't want to talk to me. She doesn't want to even answer a text message. I don't know what else I can do apart from going to see Ray myself" I explained.

"Don't do that. Trust me that will make things worse, Felicity will think you don't trust her and it will cause a huge fight" Laurel told me and I didn't know how to respond to her, of course she was right "Do you trust Felicity?" She asked me.

"Yeah of course I do" I answered.

"It doesn't sound like it" She replied.

"You know Oliver, when we were together I knew that you were playing away. I tried to convince myself that it wasn't true but deep down I knew… I knew when you went out with Tommy you were with other girls and getting drunk. Our relationship consumed me and I became so wrapped up in you and I know I would have done anything you asked of me" She said "I don't want you or Felicity to go through that because it's not healthy. I know if I had talked to you then we could have worked something out and the games wouldn't have gone on for as long as they did. Tomorrow morning I suggest you just make her talk to you before she leaves for work. I know as soon as she knows he much it means to you she will, she's a good girl for you Oliver and I want you two to work" She told me.

Maybe I should just do that. Felicity wouldn't do anything to upset and hurt me. If she knows how upset it's making me then she will probably just have it out with me, we can be open with each other and then everything will be fixed. Relationships are hard but I really want this to work because I am so in love with Felicity and I want nothing more then to spend the rest of my life with her.

"You want some pizza? I have my pizza from last night in t he fridge" She said.

"Sure" I answered.

It was nice to just spend some time with Laurel. The two of us have been through so much together and Laurel herself has been through a lot. I don't really get to speak to her anymore unless it's about Arrow work or something, we never just hang out anymore which sucks. I class Laurel as one of my best friends and I would do anything for her. I have so much love for her as a friend and I really hope she can find someone who treats her the way she's supposed to be treated and making her happy. I hope she knows that she can come to me if she ever needs anything.

I brought the pizza slice to my mouth and as I bit into it, the sauce spilled all down my t-shirt "Crap" I stated and put the half eaten slice down.

"That will stain if you don't put it in the wash now" Laurel told me.

I walked into the kitchen with Laurel behind me and I took my t-shirt off, she took it off me and went to work to make sure it didn't stain. I looked up when I felt eyes on me and saw Laurel staring at me "What?" I questioned.

"Your scars. It just shocks me every time I see them" She replied "I feel bad because I hated you for such a long time but you obviously went through some terrible things there" She added.

"Nothing I didn't deserve" I said.

"What happened on that island? There is more then what you're telling us" She stated.

"Not today Laurel" I told her.

She took a few steps towards me and placed her hands on my bite scar. She turned me around and her fingers run across the scars I have from being whipped. I felt myself shiver as her fingers ran over my body, it's been a while since Laurel has touched me like this. I turned around to face her and she moved herself closer to me, her other hand ran across the tattoo that was transferred over to me from John Constantine. She ran both her hands up my body and her eyes followed. She looked me in the eyes and I looked into hers, before I knew what was going on her lips were on mine.


	2. The Morning After

**Secrets & Lies  
** **Chapter 2  
** **The Morning After**

 **Oliver  
** She took a few steps towards me and placed her hands on my bite scar. She turned me around and her fingers run across the scars I have from being whipped. I felt myself shiver as her fingers ran over my body, it's been a while since Laurel has touched me like this. I turned around to face her and she moved herself closer to me, her other hand ran across the tattoo that was transferred over to me from John Constantine. She ran both her hands up my body and her eyes followed. She looked me in the eyes and I looked into hers, before I knew what was going on her lips were on mine.

I pulled away from the kiss and moved my head back. I love Felicity. I don't love Laurel. I can't do this. Laurel's arms went round my neck and she kissed me again, I kissed her back. I know I shouldn't and I should pull away and tell her no but I can't… I don't know why but I can't. Laurel is comforting and feels normal. My hands went to her hips and I pulled her more towards me so out bodies were touching. Our kiss deepened and it became more heated then it was passionate. My hands went to her ass and I lifted her up, she instantly wrapped her legs around me and I started walking us to her bedroom. I knew her place like the back of her hand, I got to her bedroom and laid her down on the bed. We didn't once break our kiss.

We started taking each other's clothes off and it wasn't long before we were both naked. We were rolling around the bed making out and touching each other like we had never been apart. I knew what she liked and she knew what I liked, we wasted no time in taking the next step and the two of us were soon having sex.

I got out of Laurel's bed as she slept and grabbed all of my clothes and got dressed before leaving. I closed her apartment door and leaned against it and sighed. I should never have done that. When Laurel kissed me I should have pushed her away and told her that I loved Felicity. I made sure I had my phone and everything and started making my way back to my place… the home I share with Felicity who I love. I do love her, I really do. I can't believe what I have done. Felicity might have been distant with my lately but she didn't deserve this and I may now have just ruined everything in one night.

I got back to my place and went straight to the bedroom where I saw Felicity was still fast asleep in the same position I had left her in. she had no idea of what was going on and what I had done to her. I stripped my clothes off again and got into bed beside her. I shuffled close to her and wrapped my arm around her middle, she shuffled and moved closer into me. I placed a kiss on the side of her head and I feel into a dreadful and light sleep.

The alarm went off and I felt Felicity start getting up. I heard her walk into the bathroom and turn the shower on. I got up as well and put some clothes on, I took the clothes I worse last night downstairs to put in the wash and I started making some breakfast for Felicity.

"Oliver!" Felicity called out.

"Yeah?" I replied.

She came downstairs with just a towel wrapped around her "The hot water isn't working" She told me "Can you have a look at it today?" She asked.

"Of course" I answered.

"What's wrong?" She asked looking concerned.

"Nothing" I answered instantly.

"You seem a little distant" She stated.

"Erm… actually I do wanna talk to you" I started.

"Let me go put some clothes on, it's really cold down here" She said and went back upstairs.

I have to tell her what happened. I saw what keeping secrets like this do to people and I don't want to hurt her even more by keeping it from her. She needs to know that although I slept with Laurel it's not her who I love. I want to be with Felicity and I know I can never apologise enough but the first step is just telling her and then we can maybe start working on things. If she wants to, if she would prefer just leaving me then I would understand.

Felicity came back down the stairs and took a seat at the table "You wanted to talk" She said.

"Yeah… look you know I love you-" I started but Felicity cut me off.

"Is this to do with me being distant?" She questioned.

"Kind of" I said. This whole thing started because of her being distant.

"Look I know I haven't been the best girlfriend this past week but things have been so busy at work. I have to do all of the CEO things and I've been having meetings with Ray when everyone goes home. He's been helping me deal with this and giving me advice, he knows how to run Palmer Tech and I don't. In return for me helping me I have been helping him make some changes to his ATOM suit. I promise I will try to be better" She explained to me.

"Look Felicity I need to tell you something" I said and sat down opposite her and grabbed her hands "I love you very much and I want you to know that I never set out to hurt you-" I was cut off once again but this time by Felicity's phone ringing loudly.

"One second" She said and answered the call "Felicity Smoak" She said as she answered the phone. The person on the other end of the line spoke "What?!" She exclaimed and the other person spoke again "I'll be right there. Tell everyone to not touch a thing" She stated and hung up the phone before turning to me "Oliver I'm really sorry but I need to go to work. We've had a break in and a lot of Curtis' things have been taken" She told me before rushing around to grab her things and then she left.

 **Felicity  
** I feel like the worst girlfriend in the world! I know I need to spend more time with Oliver and everything but I've just been so crazy. Oliver made being CEO of a company easy and so did Ray but I wasn't having that sort of luck. It was hard work and Ray has been helping me out a lot. The two of us have been trying to figure out ways to save Palmer Tech and then I've been helping him make some changes to the ATOM suit. I just haven't had the time to have a social life right now and I feel terrible because not only have I been ignoring Oliver but I've also been ignoring my Arrow Team duties. The whole thing is a bit messed up but as I promised Oliver, I'll try to be better.

When I got to work I went straight to Curtis' lab and saw the place was ransacked. I saw Curtis talking to a couple of police officers and he looked really devastated. The two of us have been working hard to find this ground breaking technology and now it looks like we'll have to start at square one all over again.

"Curtis!" I called and rushed over to him "What happened?" I asked.

"I came in this morning and found the place like this" He told me "They've taken all of our prototypes" He added.

"Can you give us a moment?" I asked the police officers and they walked away from us giving us some space "I was here until just gone midnight last night and everything was fine. I'll speak to the Arrow and Ray to see if they can find out anything" I told him "Have the police dusted for prints or anything?" I asked him and he shook his head no "Ok well, I will get to it and I will turn bossy and demand Lance down here" I stated.

"What are we going to do about the board?" He asked.

"We'll think of something. If you would rather go home today then that's fine" I said.

"No I'll stay and get this cleaned up" He told me.

"Ok well when I'm finished with everything I'll come and help you but do not touch anything just yet" I reminded him. I went over to the officers and gave them a smile "Hi, I'm Felicity Smoak the CEO. I would like to speak to Captain Lance please" I told them.

"Captain Lance is-"

"He's a friend and I would like to speak to him" I told them.

"I'll call him" One of them said.

"Thank you, it's much appreciated" I replied.

 **Oliver  
** The front door knocked and I opened it to see Laurel on the other side of the door. I let her in and we sat on the sofa together "Did you tell Felicity?" She asked.

"Not yet but I am going to. I don't want to lie to her" I said.

"Oliver please don't tell her. She used to really not like me and I know it's because of the relationship the two of us shared. She's warmed up to me now and I like my place on team Arrow… I don't want anything to ruin or jeopardise that" She told me.

"Laurel I can't lie to her. You know how it felt to be lied to… do you really want Felicity feeling the same way?" I questioned.

"She'll probably forgive you and get over it because she loves you but me… she will hate me forever and I don't want that. I really like her and I value our friendship. I am begging you not to tell her Oliver. We can go back to how it was before. You and Felicity be Star City's power couple and I just be a friend and colleague to you both" She explained.

"Laurel I can't!" I shouted and stood up in frustration.

"I can be working with Arrow if you tell her. You know she won't like it and I will have no choice but to leave" She said.

"What we did was a mistake, I love Felicity, I really do. I have to tell her. I promised her that I would not keep secrets from her and I'm not going to keep it from her because of your own selfish needs" I told her.

"My selfish needs? You're the one that came to my place because you're girlfriend wasn't paying you any attention! You're the one that is selfish! You don't care about anyone but yourself, as long as you're ok then screw the rest of us! The world doesn't always work in your favour Oliver" She shouted and also stood from her seat in anger "I really hope she dumps you and kicks you to the curb!" She exclaimed and left the apartment slamming the door behind her.

Of course I didn't want anyone to fall out with Laurel because she's come so far with everyone and I didn't want her to stop working with me because I know how much it means to her. On the other hand I don't want to lie and keep secrets from Felicity because she deserves a lot more then that. I know that the only person to blame in this whole situation is myself and I admit it. I messed up and I did wrong. I have to try and fix this somehow to keep both Felicity and Laurel happy, I don't want to lose either of them because they both mean so much to me.

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	3. The Confession

**Secrets & Lies  
** **Chapter 3  
** **The Confession**

 **Felicity  
** I've been trying to get hold of Oliver for the past hour but there's been no answer from him. Thankfully Lance came down to Palmer Tech and said he would track down Oliver and all the others and they will get to work on it. I explained to Lance that I was here last night with Ray and I didn't really want the officers going through the CCTV footage and see him. That would just open up a huge can or worms that I wouldn't be able to deal with, Lance said he would deal with it. I can't believe that this is happening. Why would someone break in here just to steal a few prototypes? None of them so far were ground breaking technology or anything, however Curtis and I were getting close. It just doesn't make sense to me and it seems that no one seems to know anything either… Curtis is so upset about this. He's put in so much hard work and effort and now there is literally nothing to show for it.

Right now I could really use some support from Oliver. Maybe he's just ignoring me because of this morning, he was in the middle of telling me something when I told him I had to come here. It's not that I didn't want to hear what he had to say I just had to get down here and make sure everyone was ok and find out what had been taken. I really hope he's not doing this to be petty and he's just busy and hasn't realised that I've tried to call. Who was I kidding, Oliver was attached to his phone and he must have seen that I was trying to call him. Unless he's in trouble and he can't answer the phone… oh my God life would be so much easier if Oliver would just answer the phone.

The door to my office opened and Laurel came in "Hi" I greeted her and she took a seat on the chair opposite me "What brings you down here?" I asked her.

"Just seeing how you were. My dad told me what happened" She said.

"I'm ok. Curtis not so much. He's put in so much time and energy into all of those prototypes and now they're all gone" I said "You haven't seen Oliver today have you?" I asked.

"No. Why would I?" She questioned.

"It's just that I haven't been able to get hold of him. I was hoping someone would know where he was" I told her "Are you ok Laurel? You seem a little jumpy?" I asked her.

"Me? Oh I'm fine" She replied.

"Well if you're sure… do you want a coffee or something?" I asked.

"No it was just a flying visit to make sure that you were ok" She told me "I better go, I have to be in court in half an hour" She stated and stood from the chair "Give me a call if I can help with anything" She said and started walking towards the door.

"If you see Oliver, can you tell him to call me?" I asked. She nodded in response and left.

That was strange. She seemed really jumpy and off today… what is it with everyone today? I sighed and leaned back in my chair with my phone in my hand. There were still no missed calls or anything. Where the hell is Oliver and what is he doing? Surely he knows that I need him right now and I need him to help me get Curtis' work back. Curtis has done us favours in the past and it's about time we helped him with something. I don't want the prototypes back to make the ground breaking technology for the board, I wanted them back for him.

I dialled Oliver's number again but it just rang and rang until it went to voicemail "Hey Oliver it's me. Look I really need you here right now. I need your help. Please call me back when you get this, I'm getting worried about you" I said and then hung up the phone.

I called Digg and waited for him to answer "Hey Felicity" He said as he answered.

"Hey. You haven't seen Oliver have you?" I asked him.

"Not today, why?" He asked.

"Someone broke into Palmer Tech last night and took Curtis' prototypes, I was going to ask Oliver if the Arrow could help" I told him.

"I'm sorry to hear that. You spoke to Lance?" He asked.

"Yeah he said he was going to try and find Oliver. I spoke to Laurel too but she hasn't seen him either. Do you think something happened to him?" I questioned.

"Probably not. I'll go and look for him" He told me.

"Thank you" I replied and our conversation ended.

I might just go home soon, I've had enough of the office for today. I can maybe use my time this afternoon by catching up with some Arrow leads and helping Curtis get his prototypes back.

 **Oliver  
** The door to the apartment knocked again and I thought it might have been Laurel so I did debate on answering it but I opened the door in the end. It was Diggle on the other side, I let him in and he followed me out onto the balcony "Felicity said she's been trying to get hold of you" He said to me.

"Yeah I know" I replied.

"Then why didn't you answer?" He asked.

"Because I can't talk to her" I said.

"And why not?" He questioned.

"I did something stupid and now I'm too scared to face her" I told him.

"She didn't mention anything. In face she's worried something has happened to you" He informed me.

"Well she doesn't know the stupid thing I did… yet… but I do need to tell her. I don't want to lie to her or keep secrets from her. I'm just hoping to bide my time a little more" I admitted.

"What did you do Oliver?" He asked but I didn't answer him. I just looked down at the floor and went back inside the apartment "Oliver if you want some advice then you have to tell me what happened. You do a lot of stupid things, I'm sure Felicity won't get too mad at you" He told me.

"Oh, if only you knew. This is the stupidest" I stated.

"Just tell me what it is you done" He said.

"If you tell you, do not tell Felicity until I tell her and don't bring it up with anyone else. I feel bad enough as it is" I said and he nodded his consent "Well last night, I tried to speak to Felicity about her being distant with me but she blew me off as usual and went to sleep. I wasn't tired so I went round to Laurel's and we talked, she gave me some advice and we had some pizza. I got sauce on my t-shirt and-"

"I don't like where this is going" He stated.

"I took my shirt off for her to clean it and then we were kissing and I did pull away but then we kissed again. I didn't pull away and I ended up sleeping with her" I confessed.

The apartment door swung open with a bang and Felicity stood there like she had just been stabbed in the heart "You did what?" She questioned.

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	4. The Blow Out

**Secrets & Lies  
Chapter 4  
The Blow out**

 **Felicity  
** I got out of the car and made my way up to the apartment. I still haven't been able to get hold of Oliver and I am starting to worry. I've tried calling Digg again but he's not answering the phone now either which is making me more nervous. There must be something wrong for everyone to not be able to answer the phone to me, especially knowing how much I need them right now. I got to the door and stopped when I heard voices inside the apartment "If you tell you, do not tell Felicity until I tell her and don't bring it up with anyone else. I feel bad enough as it is" I said and he nodded his consent "Well last night, I tried to speak to Felicity about her being distant with me but she blew me off as usual and went to sleep. I wasn't tired so I went round to Laurel's and we talked, she gave me some advice and we had some pizza. I got sauce on my t-shirt and-" That was Oliver…

"I don't like where this is going" That was Digg…

"I took my shirt off for her to clean it and then we were kissing and I did pull away but then we kissed again. I didn't pull away and I ended up sleeping with her"

I threw the door open to the apartment and saw Digg standing there with Oliver in the living room "You did what?" I questioned.

"Felicity-" Oliver started.

"Tell me it's not true" I stated.

"I'll give you two some space" Diggle said and he left the apartment.

I walked into the apartment and slammed the door behind me. Oliver stood in the living room with his face down, he can't even look me in the eyes "Oliver please tell me that it's not true" I repeated but he didn't reply. Tears welled up in my eyes and fell down my face before I had a chance to stop them "Why?" I asked him "Was I that horrible to you that you felt you needed to go back to Laurel?" I asked.

"It wasn't like that" He replied.

"Then what was it like?" I asked.

"I didn't mean to do it" He said.

"What? It was an accident? You were both naked, you fell over and just penetrated her?!" I questioned but my voice had got louder.

"No of course not. When I went to speak to Laurel I never thought that would happen. I just needed to speak to someone and get some advice. Things were never meant to go that far, we were supposed to just talk and then come home… to you… because I love you" He explained.

"Do you still love Laurel?" I asked him.

"No of course not" He said.

"Then why? If you don't love her then why did you sleep with her?" I questioned. I just don't understand.

"It just happened" He answered.

"You know Laurel came to the office to see me today. Is that why she came? To see if you had told me? She said she came to see if I was ok but obviously it was to make sure your dirty little secret was still hidden!" I shouted at him "I can't believe that you would do this to me Oliver! With Laurel of all people… there must still be some feelings there for you to have sex with her!" I was now screaming at him. Oliver came walking towards me but I took a step away "Stay away from me Oliver. I don't want you to touch me right now" I told him.

"Please Felicity, I just want to try and explain to you" He started.

"How can you explain this? You had sex with her whilst I was home in our bed. There is no way you can talk yourself out of this. You tell me you love me but you can't love me that much… you would never of even kissed her if you love me as much as you say you do" I explained to him.

"Of course I love you but I was just frustrated with everything going on between us. We haven't really been talking or spending time with each other. I feel like your just a roommate. I don't feel like you're my girlfriend anymore and I just wanted to talk to someone. I know me and Laurel have as history but she's still a really good friend and I went to her for advice… that's all I went there for. Everything else that happened was just a mistake… I promise you" He told me.

"Stop lying to me Oliver!" I shouted.

"I'm not lying to you Felicity" He said.

"I don't want to talk to you right now" I stated and went upstairs to the bedroom.

After everything Oliver and I have been through together he went and slept with Laurel. I can't believe he would do this to me and with Laurel with all people! He must have some feelings for her to sleep with her. There must be something there if he was willing to sacrifice our relationship. In the bedroom I saw Oliver's clothes laying on the floor from when he got changed this morning. I picked them up and opened the wardrobe with the intention of throwing them in there to make the place tidy but then I thought about it. What if these where the clothes he was wearing? I don't want anything in this apartment that will remind me of her. At the moment, that includes Oliver.

I got Oliver's gym bag and packed most of his clothes in there and went downstairs. He was sitting on the sofa looking sorry for himself and staring at a picture of the two of us. He looked up when he saw me and then looked at the bag in confusion "Are you leaving?" He asked me standing from his seat.

"No. You are" I replied and threw the bag in front of him on the floor "There can't be anything that reminds me of… her… in the apartment and that includes you" I explained.

"Please Felicity, just talk to me" He pleaded.

"I can't right now. I need you to leave and just give me some space" I said.

"I love you" He stated.

"I thought you did" I replied and made my way back upstairs.

"Felicity, please" I pleaded but she didn't turn back.

 **Oliver  
** I didn't want to leave because I want to fix this mess I caused. I know I did wrong and I want to do everything I can to make her understand how sorry I was and promise her I will never do anything like this ever again. It was just one stupid mistake. I don't know how I can make this right. I grabbed the bag and started walking to the door, I was hoping that Felicity would see me leaving and tell me to stay and she didn't really want me to go but there was just silence. I opened the door and left the apartment.

I ended up at the only place I could think off. I knocked the door and Digg answered, he gave me a small smile and let me in "I'm taking it she kicked you out" He stated as we walked through to the living room.

"Yeah. She said she wanted someone everything out of the apartment that reminded her of Laurel" I replied.

"Oliver? What are you doing here?" Lyla asked as she walked into the room holding baby Sara.

"Just some problems with Felicity" I answered.

"What problems?" She questioned getting suspicious "Must be some problem for her to throw you out" She added.

"I er… I… I had sex with Laurel" I confessed.

"You idiot" She stated "Why would you do that to her? Felicity is the best thing that has ever-"

"Ok Lyla… Oliver knows he's done wrong" Digg intervened.

"You can stay here on the sofa on one condition… you make this right" Lyla said.

"Thank you, I really do appreciate it Lyla" I replied.

"And you can help out with baby Sara" She added before walking back out of the room.


	5. The Talk

**Secrets & Lies  
Chapter 5  
The Talk  
**

 **Felicity  
** Oliver hasn't been home in over a week now and I'm beginning to miss him. The apartment doesn't feel right without him here. Maybe I feel like that because I spend too much time in the apartment, I haven't been back to work since I found out what Oliver had done. I've been working from home and they all know not to bother me unless there is a dire emergency, Curtis has been helping me communicate with the police about the break in at the office but there hasn't been much to report as of yet. I know I shouldn't spend so much time here on my own and think about everything that happened but I wasn't ready to face anyone just yet. I'm still trying to understand what really happened. Obviously Oliver and Laurel slept together… but why?

Was it just because I've been busy at work?  
Did Oliver still have feelings for Laurel?  
Was Oliver having second thoughts about being with me?  
Did Oliver plan on sleeping with her?  
What was going on?

I've been wanting to call Oliver so we could really speak about everything without shouting and getting angry but I haven't had the balls to call. Also he was the one that did wrong, I shouldn't been chasing him. He should be trying to make things right but I know what Oliver is like. He's probably thinking that I need space from him right now but he's wrong. What I really need right now is for Oliver to explain things to me and make me try to understand why he did what he did. I know I was distant but I was busy with work and trying to make Palmer Tech what Ray wanted it to be but was I that mean to him?

Was all of this my fault?  
Did he feel that I wouldn't care if he did sleep with Laurel?  
Was I that cruel to him?

The whole thing was very confusing to me. Never in a million years did I think that Oliver would do something that would hurt me this bad. I thought Oliver was my knight in shining armour and he was going to be the one. The one that would protect me, care for me, look after me, be there for me and be the man I've always dreamed of and up until now he has been. Oliver has always been the man I've wanted. I love him and I want things to work with him but I don't know how we can get past this. It's the biggest betrayal.

Sleeping in our bed alone has been one of the worst things. I was so used to sleeping next to him and having his arms wrapped around me but all I have now is his pillow that doesn't really smell like him anymore. I'll never admit to it but for the past couple of nights I've been sleeping in his t-shirts as a way to feel closer to him. I know it sounds stupid considering everything he done. I should hate him and never want to see him again but Oliver… well Oliver is Oliver and I know that no matter what I will always love him.

I don't want to forgive him and get back on track. I want him to work for it and prove to me that nothing like this will ever happen again and it was just some stupid one time mistake. If he can't prove that to me then maybe we wasn't meant to be and I'm just being delusional in thinking there was a future between Oliver and me.

The front door knocked and I jumped from the noise. No one has been here since I kicked Oliver out and the only noise in the apartment is made by me. I got up from the table and closed the laptop shut. I opened the door and was surprised to see Lyla standing on the other side of the door "Erm… hi" I said.

She smiled softly at me "Hi Felicity, sorry to come by unannounced" She replied.

"No problem. Come in" I insisted and opened the door wider for her. She came in and the two of us made our way over to the sofa and we sat down "Can I get you a drink or something?" I asked her.

"No I'm fine thank you. It's just a quick visit" She answered "I came by to speak to you about Oliver. I know it's not really any of my business but I just wanted to see how you were and what you were thinking" She told me.

"Well I'm feeling shitty" I replied and it was a tiny bit harsher then I wanted it to be "Sorry" I added.

"Don't be" She said.

"I just can't believe that he did that to me. Never in a million years did I think Oliver would cheat on me, especially with Laurel of all people. I just can't believe that it happened. I know I was distant with Oliver but I was trying to get Palmer Tech going again, they haven't been doing too well since Ray 'died'. I didn't think he was so hurt to do something like that" I explained to her.

"Don't think it's your fault because it isn't. Oliver was beyond stupid to do what he did and he knows it" She replied "He's been sleeping on my couch for the past week and all he talks about is how much he messed up and I've told him to come and speak to you but he said he wants to give you your space" She said.

"I knew it" I stated "That's typical Oliver" I added.

"Maybe if you just send him a text and tell him you want to talk… I know he'd come straight over and I know he really does want to prove to you that what happened was a mistake and he really does love you" She told me.

"Yeah… maybe" I replied.

"I'll leave you to carry on what you were doing, I just wanted to come and make sure you were ok… well ok-ish" She said.

After Lyla left I started thinking about what she said. Oliver and Lyla were not the best of friends so I know that she's not coming here to plea to me as his friend or anything but I guess she did have a point. Oliver tends to put his head in the sand when there was a problem. Maybe if I do just send him a message to say that I'm ready to talk, he might come over and we can clear all of this up. Of course I'm not going to ask him to move back in and we can be loves young dream again but maybe we can start getting back on track.

 _Be here in 10 mins._

I didn't know what else to put so I pressed send and instantly I received a text back.

 _I'm on my way._

Exactly 10 minutes later the front door knocked. I took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the door. I opened it and saw Oliver standing there with his hands in his pockets, red rimmed eyes and an expression I have only seen on him one time. The day of his mother's funeral. He looked lost and confused and sad, it wasn't the normal Oliver look "Come in" I said softly and the two of us made our way to the sofa.

"Thank you for letting me come over" He said.

"Well we need to talk about things and just putting it off will make it harder to speak about" I replied.

"Ok" He replied. He was obviously letting me take control of everything happening, I could tell by his face there are a million things that he wants to say but he won't say them until I let him.

"I want you to know how much it hurt. Not just finding out what you did but having to hear you telling Dig about it. I thought you would have come to me first and told me straight away but I had to hear it like it was gossip. I've always been honest with you Oliver. Not once have I lied to you or betrayed you and then you do this to me… you cheat one me with Laurel. There are millions of people in the world and you had to choose her" I explained to him and he looked down at the floor ashamed "Look at me when I'm talking to you" I demanded and he did as he was told. I wanted him to see the hurt in my eyes.

"I will never be able to apologise enough or ever really make it up to you" He told me.

"Explain to me properly, why you did it" I said.

"I didn't go to Laurel's with the intention of sleeping with her. I only went there to talk, she was a good friend and I needed some advice from her. I spilt wine on my t-shirt and Laurel offered to clean it off. I know I should have refused but at the time I didn't think anything of it so I gave it to her. When she came back from putting it in the wash she was looking at the scars and the tattoos. She started touching them and studying them and then she kissed me" He explained.

"Did you think of me when she did that?" I asked.

"At first I pulled away and then she kissed me again and I didn't. I don't know why I didn't. Before I knew it we were taking each others clothes off and we were having sex" He told me "Believe me, I didn't go there for that. It did just happen and I don't know why it did and I regret it completely" He added.

"If Laurel came through the door right now and told you she still loved you and she wants to get back together with you… would you?" I questioned.

"No" He answered instantly.

"Would you consider it?" I asked.

"No" He repeated and again instantly.

"What is it about her that makes you keep going back? Was I not good enough? Is she better in bed then me? Does she make you feel better then I do? Does she remind you of your life before everything happened? I need to know why you keep going back" I told him.

"I don't know… she's familiar I guess" He answered.

"Familiar?" I questioned.

"Yeah I guess she does remind me of simpler times before the island but Felicity… it's not her I love, it's not her I want to share a bed with, it's not her I want to share a name with, it's not her I want to spend the rest of my life with. It's you and it's been you for longer then I think" He explained "Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it" He said.

"Get rid of her" I stated.

* * *

 **Thank you, thank you, thank you for sticking up with me and waiting for the update patiently. I know I was a little longer then what I said but I've had computer issues so I haven't posted anything in a couple of weeks now. I've changed the way the story was originally going to go, so I hope you like it. If you haven't already then please do check out my other stories as well as follow, favourite and review my stories and myself... I love things like that!**

 **Once again, thank you so much for being patient! 3**


	6. The Decision

**Secrets & Lies  
Chapter 6  
The Decision**

 **Oliver  
** "What is it about her that makes you keep going back? Was I not good enough? Is she better in bed then me? Does she make you feel better then I do? Does she remind you of your life before everything happened? I need to know why you keep going back" She told me.

"I don't know… she's familiar I guess" I answered.

"Familiar?" She questioned.

"Yeah I guess she does remind me of simpler times before the island but Felicity… it's not her I love, it's not her I want to share a bed with, it's not her I want to share a name with, it's not her I want to spend the rest of my life with. It's you and it's been you for longer then I think" I explained "Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it" I said.

"Get rid of her" She stated.

"What do you mean get rid of her? Kick her off the team?" I questioned.

"No. Get her out of your life for good. No contact. Delete each other's numbers, get her off the team, pretend that she doesn't exist!" She exclaimed "I don't want to ever hear her name again" She told me.

"Ok. Say I get her out of my life for good, what then? Does it mean that I have another chance with you? Is that what it takes to get back with you?" I questioned.

"If you get her out of your life for good then we'll talk but until then, our conversation is over" She said.

I knew it was best not to argue with her so I stood from the chair and started making my way towards the front door. I turned back to look at Felicity and saw that she was taking deep breaths to try and calm down. I decided to give her some space and left, I closed the door softly behind me and stood in the hallway trying to get my breath for a minute. I never thought Felicity would ask me to do that. Well I never thought I would cheat on Felicity with Laurel and put myself in this situation, there was no one to blame but me and I'm aware of that.

Laurel was one of my best friends and she's always been there for me when I needed her but maybe it was time to close the door on my friendship with Laurel to work on my relationship with Felicity, I wasn't lying when I told Felicity that it was her I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I've never felt so in love with someone in my life. Of course I did love Laurel when I was with her and I did have love for Sara but they weren't Felicity and there was something about her that drove me crazy. I could never see myself marrying Sara or Laurel but Felicity… I can see a future with marriage, babies, the white picket fence and a dog.

I know what I have to do and there's no point in delaying it. I left the apartment block and started making my way to Laurel's place. It didn't take long for me to get there and when I did I stood at the door for a little while thinking of what to say to her. I know it's going to be tough saying goodbye to Laurel for good but it's what I need to do so I can get back on track with Felicity. I hope Laurel will understand that I'm not doing this to be horrible, although if she hates me then it will make it easier for us to not have anymore contact and be apart for good.

I knocked on the door and waited.

I heard shuffling on the other side of the door and then it opened and Laurel was stood there. She seemed surprised to see me but she invited me in anyway and we made our way to the living room. What I wasn't expecting to see was two suitcases sitting on the sofa, she was definitely going somewhere.

"Going anywhere nice?" I asked her.

"I'm going to see my mom for a little while" She replied.

"Oh ok" I said, not really knowing what else to say.

"Is there something you wanted?"

"Erm… actually yeah" I said "I've been speaking with Felicity" I started.

"Right, how are things?" She asked.

"Rough" I answered "She has given me an in so to speak but there is something that I need to do before she gives me the in" I said but I realised I wasn't making much sense to her, it was better if I just spat it out and told her "The thing is…"

"She doesn't want me and you to be friends anymore, does she?" Laurel questioned.

"No she doesn't. She wants all contact gone between us" I told her.

"Well I understand" She replied "I never wanted to hurt Felicity, I class her as a good friend and the last thing I want to do is hurt my friends" She said "And I'm sorry to you for what happened. I should never have kissed you" She added.

"You don't have to apologise. We both messed up and now for the first time in my life I have to answer for my actions" I told her.

* * *

I stayed at Laurel's for a little while and made sure she was ok. Maybe it was a good thing she was going to see her mom for a little while, the distance will make everything that little but easier. I just hope that we can get through this and Felicity can see that I am trying to make it up to her, I want to get back together with her and have a real life with her and put all of this rubbish behind us. I was wrong to do what I did and I will do whatever I can to make it right.

Once I was finished at Laurel's I went straight back to Felicity's. I knocked on the door and Felicity opened it pretty quickly. She didn't utter a word but she let me back in and we sat back down on the sofa again "I've made my choice and I've told Laurel how it has to be. The two of us are not going to have anymore contact with one another" I told her "What do you want me to do next?" I asked her.

"I don't know" She replied "I didn't think you would finish your friendship with Laurel so I didn't think any further on" She admitted.

"I told you I would do whatever it is you want me to do" I said.

" _If_ we do try this again then I you need to swear to me that you are never going to do anything like that ever again. I need to be sure that you're not going to hurt me ever again" She told me "When I heard you telling Digg what had happened… it broke me in two because I fully trusted you. I never thought you would do something like that to me. I used to think you were the most amazing person in the world and you were the best thing since sliced bread. You were my hero" She explained, about to cry.

 **Felicity  
** I know I keep repeating myself about how much he hurt me but I'm sure he still doesn't really get how I felt. It literally felt like someone stabbed me in chest, twisted the knife around and then pulled it out. I had palpitations and I wanted to crumble. I have never trusted anyone the way I trusted Oliver and he betrayed me in one of the worst ways possible. He made me feel like I wasn't good enough for him, that Laurel was one better then me and I could never compete with her. He made me feel the worst I had ever felt before in my life. I never want to feel like that again. I have feelings that it was my fault as if I did something wrong to push him away, well that's what he was saying to Digg. Oliver said that I had been pushing him away, maybe I pushed him into Laurel's arms.

I hadn't realised Oliver had moved from sitting opposite me to sitting next to me. He rested his hand over mine and I sucked in a breath. I've missed his touch. I looked up at him and as soon as I did I couldn't stop the tears from falling. I started sobbing and Oliver wrapped his arm around me and held me close to his chest. I gripped onto his shirt and cried into him. For the first time since finding out what happened with Laurel, I've finally managed to let it all out and let Oliver know what sort of impact his actions had.

"I will never be able to apologise enough" He told me softly.

"I need to learn to trust you again" I said.

"I'll do whatever it takes" He replied.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!  
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	7. The Rules

**Secrets & Lies  
Chapter 7  
The Rules**

 **Felicity  
** I never thought that Oliver would actually go through with it and ask Laurel to no longer be apart of his life. A part of me expected him to put up a fight and stick up for her like he always does. Maybe this proved that he loved me more then I thought he did and if he's willing to do that then maybe he's willing to follow some ground rules if he wants to get back together with me. I think the rules I have in mind are fairly reasonable considering and I also think that Oliver will follow them. He told me he would do whatever it takes to get us back on track, the Laurel thing was just a test and he passed with flying colours. Now it is time to put his money where his mouth is, so to speak. Let's see if Oliver really is willing to do _anything_ to get back together with me and put all of this behind us.

He was supposed to be coming over later so that we could talk some more, I have no doubt he will be here on time. He really is trying hard and it's difficult for me to not let him back in my life the way he was. Things need to be taken slow so I can learn to trust him again and we can start working on getting back to where we were but that is going to take time. Oliver is not the most patient of people at times but I think he'll understand that this is what needs to be done. It's a tough call on deciding if we should work on it or if I should just break up with him but I need to at least give it a try. If I don't I will always be wondering, _what if_ , and I don't think I could deal with that.

My problem with everything happening is that I don't want to seem soft. I'm giving Oliver another chance and I'm happy we're fixing things but I don't want him to think that he will get away with it again. I struggle being a firm person sometimes and I really don't like being firm or mean to Oliver. I know he would never do it again but then again I didn't think he would do it the first time. I look at Diggle and I know he just sees me as being to soft on Oliver and I'm letting my feelings cloud my judgment. Maybe he's right and I'm giving him another chance to easily but if things go wrong again, I can say that I at least tried. I hope everyone knows that this isn't easy for me and I'm not doing this for the wrong reasons.

I'm sticking to my rules and regulations, I'm not making it easy for Oliver to get back into my good books but I miss him. I miss his touch and his voice. I miss him stroking my hair whilst laying in bed. It's really taking a lot for me to stick to my guns on this. It would be easy for me to sweep it under the carpet and pretend it never happened. It would be easy for me to just lay in bed with him after he had sex with her and pretend everything is ok. It's hard for me to actually face up to what he did and know what he did every time I look at him. If I ever let him back into my bed, I know that thoughts of her will come back.

Was she better then me?  
Does he miss her?  
Would he prefer if I was more like her?  
Is he thinking about her whilst touching me?

It's because of these thoughts that I have to give it time. It wouldn't be fair of me to let Oliver back into my bed and have those thoughts running through my head. I promised Oliver I would always be truthful to him so maybe if I speak to him about these questions, he will be able to give me my answers. I'll know if he's lying and he knows it. I guess really only time will tell if it really is me he wants or if it really is her.

* * *

I smoothed out my dress and made sure I looked presentable before I opened the knocking door. Oliver stood on the other side of the door holding a bunch of my favourite flowers, Amaryllis' "Thank you, they're beautiful" I said as I took them off him and let him inside. I heard him close the door behind him as I went into the kitchen and put the flowers in a vase.

I walked into the dining area and saw Oliver sitting down and looking down at the table, he looked up when he heard me and smiled softly. I took a seat opposite him and Oliver instantly grabbed my hands in his, the simple touch made me want to melt "Thank you for agreeing to this" He told me and I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was sincere. He really was grateful for the opportunity to speak to me and have a meal with me.

"Dinner should be ready soon" I stated and stood up "Would you like a glass of wine?" I asked.

"Please" He responded.

Once I had poured the two glasses of wine I went back to the table and placed one in front of him and one opposite him, where I would be sitting. I didn't take a seat because dinner was ready to be served. It wasn't anything spectacular or anything, just spaghetti with garlicky kale and tomatoes. It used to be something Oliver and I ate all the time together. He can cook it too and I thought it best to go with a dinner we can both enjoy and it might help us get into the flow of things again. With the two plates in hand I went out to the dining area again, placed one in front of Oliver and one opposite.

"Looks and smells delicious" He commented.

I sat down and after a sip of my wine I began to eat.

Dinner was finished fairly quickly and we both went into an awkward silence as we knew what was coming next. The whole reason Oliver had come over was so we could discuss where to go from here and what we expect and want from each other further into this relationship. It was a discussion neither of us really wanted to start as we didn't want to say the wrong thing and cock it up before it even began. Of course one of us had to begin with something so I took the reigns.

"Thank you for agreeing to come over tonight. I think it's important we speak properly about where to go from here and we can talk like adults. I need to tell you what I want from you but I want you to tell me what you want from me. If we're going to make this work then we both need to work at it and we probably both need to make some sacrifices" I explained.

"I agree" He replied.

"Ok, well first of all I don't want you having anymore contact with Laurel. I can't trust you to be around each other right now and I do not want to have to go through this again. This is hard enough without doing it again" I told him and he nodded in agreement "I want you to be truthful with me if something is bothering you. I want you to feel like you can talk to me about your worries or if you think I'm not paying enough attention to our relationship. If we don't become open and honest with one another then things are never going to be right" I told him.

"I completely agree with that. I want you to know that since you asked the first time, Laurel and I have not had any contact whatsoever. She does however live with my sister so I think there will probably be times when we bump into each other and I can't be rude and pretend she doesn't exist. I get you don't trust me and her but I swear to you that I will never do something so stupid ever again" He said.

"I don't even want to hear her name" I stated bitterly "She was supposed to be a good friend but then she goes and sleeps with my boyfriend. Then she shows up at my office pretending to see how I am when all she really wants to know is if you had told me what happened. She's a snake and I don't want her or anything associated with her talked about or brought in front of me" I explained to him and he nodded with me "You're lucky that you're sitting here" I said.

"I know I am" He answered.

"Look I don't want it to seem like I blame her for everything and I have forgiven you because that isn't the case. I am still so angry at you and hurt by what you did to me but what hurt most about her was that she pretended to be my friend. She could have mentioned it to me when she came to see me in the office the day after it happened but she didn't she was snooping to see if you had told me. That's not what friends do and I can never class her as a friend again" I said.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me. That's the last thing you need to do" He replied.

"This isn't going to be fixed over night. There is so much that we need to do if we are to ever get back on track. I don't know if I will be able to forgive you for this but I'm going to try. I'll kick myself forever if I never tried. We are really going to have to work on it and I'm willing to try… I'm not promising anything" I explained.

"Like I said, I'll do whatever you want me to do"

* * *

 **Please review, favourite and follow.  
Until next time lovers...**


	8. The Second Chance

**Secrets & Lies  
Chapter 8  
The Second Chance**

 **Oliver  
** I woke up and found myself in a familiar room, Felicity's living room, it used to be our living room. There was a blanket over me and I smiled at the thought of Felicity still caring so much. I stood from the sofa and folded the blanket up and put it on the back of the sofa. The place looked untouched as if she hadn't been down here yet. Maybe she wasn't up yet. I didn't want to go up there and check, it wouldn't be right for me to go up there. I thought about it for a second and went into the kitchen where I started making breakfast, Felicity's favourite actually… omelettes.

Things are starting to get better with Felicity. The only problem I have now is getting her back on team Arrow. Felicity decided that she didn't want to be apart of it and she wanted Laurel to take her place back as she feels that Laurel is more valued then what she is, which is a complete lie. They are both really valued members of the time and they both have different skills which are an asset. We needed Laurel for the muscle and the skill. The villains in this time seem to get getting tougher and tougher. I wish there was something I could do to make this all better and get Laurel and Felicity working together again. We need both of them on the team and I really cannot chose between them, Laurel and I have so much history and it's too difficult to just throw everything away and Felicity… I love her so much and I want nothing more then to have a real future with her.

I don't want to push Felicity though as she has been trying to work things out with me. She has agreed to take things slow which is more then I can ever ask for after everything that happened. We've been out a couple times for coffee and once for dinner. She has also agreed to finally sit down with Laurel and talk things out with her. She told me she didn't want me there to interrupt the conversation she wants it to be just be her and Laurel. I would feel better if there was someone there to keep an eye on the two of them, maybe have Diggle there or something. I don't want things to get heated and out of control. They both mean too much to me to let anything happen to either of them. I just can't believe all of this has happened, I messed up and I know I did. I can never make things perfect again but I will try everything I can.

I heard movement upstairs and then Felicity started walking down the stairs with her pjs still on. She looked shocked to see me still here but then things seemed to register with her. She came towards me and took a seat at the table. I put the omelettes on a couple of plates and got some orange juice ready and put one in front of her and took a seat opposite her. This is where I was supposed to be, sat with her at first thing in the morning and having breakfast with her. Like the old times. The good times.

"Good morning" She said softly.

"Morning" I replied "Are you ok?" I asked her.

"I've been better. I'm just nervous about speaking to… her… today. I don't know how things are going to go. To be honest I don't even want to have this conversation and I don't know why I'm doing it" She stated.

"If you're willing to talk to me and try to make things better with me then you should at least let her give her side of events" I told her "If you don't like what she has to say and never want to speak to her again then fine, please just give her that one chance to explain herself" I added.

"I don't know if I want to hear her tell me what an amazing night she had with you. It was hard enough listening to you tell me about it, I don't think I want to hear it for a second time" She said.

"You just need to have one conversation with her" I stated.

"To be honest Oliver I don't think I need to do anything" She snapped.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just mean that it will be better if you listen to what she has to say. I know that she's sorry and she misses you as a friend. She really cares about you and she just wants to have the chance to apologise to you if anything" I explained to her.

"I'm only doing this because I've allowed you another chance" She told me and took a bite of her omelette.

* * *

 **Felicity**

Laurel was due to be here any minute and I was dreading every minute of this conversation. The only reason I'm doing this is because I've given Oliver the chance to work things out with me so I think I should at least give her the same option. It wouldn't be fair of me to shut her out completely but let Oliver stay in the apartment for the night and agree to take things slow with him and start our relationship again. One thing I didn't want to happen whilst we were talking to have Oliver there sticking up for her and taking the full blame himself because that's what would happen. He will just keep going on about how he shouldn't have done it and it was all down to him. This was a chance to give Laurel her chance, I didn't want Olive there.

The front door knocked and I took a deep breath before opening it. I made sure I looked presentable and opened the door to see Laurel stood there. She looked nervous and was gripping on to her bag so hard that her knuckles were turning white "Hi Felicity. Thank you for agreeing to talk to me" She said kindly. I opened the door for her to come in and we made our way into the living room and took a seat on the sofa, sitting opposite each other. Laurel looked around the apartment and was taking deep breaths. I wasn't going to start this conversation, this was _her_ chance to speak, not Oliver's and not mine "I don't even know where to start" She said.

"The beginning would be best" I responded harsher then I intended.

"Of course" She replied and relaxed her body "When Oliver came over I didn't ever believe that things would turn out as they did. I will admit that he kissed me, he did push me away and I pursued him. I don't know what came over me, I just felt…. I don't know what I felt or what I was thinking. I was wrong and I know that. I can never apologise enough" She explained to me.

"When you came to my office the next day, why didn't you mention it? Why didn't you just tell me? It seems to me that you only came to the office to make sure you secret stayed just that. I was supposed to be my friend and ok, Oliver is your ex and there is some complicated history but I never thought you and he would do that to me" I told her.

"There are no excuses so I won't try to make any" She replied.

"Did you think I would never find out?" I asked.

"I don't know" She answered.

"Did it make you feel good?" I questioned.

"No" She stated.

"I'll admit Oliver and I had our problems but never did I ever think that my friend and my boyfriend would ever go behind my back and betray me like that. I guess I should've guessed it with Oliver's history" I said and looked away from her for a second to blink back my tears and then looked at her again "I want you to know that the only reason I agreed to this talk was because I have given Oliver the chance to say his piece and I think the two of us are going to try and work things out… very slowly" I explained to her.

"Can we ever work things out?" She questioned.

"I have to give you the same chance I've given Oliver. It wouldn't be fair of me to blame your more then him because he is as much to blame for this as you. Whether you kissed him first is irrelevant. If he loved me like he says he does then he would've left your apartment that minute and he would have came home to me. He didn't need to stay at yours and he didn't need to let things go as far as they did" I explained.

"Felicity I am really sorry, please believe me that if I could go back in time and change it then I would. I really did never want to hurt you" She said.

"Well like I said, I will give you the same chance I'm giving Oliver" I told her.

* * *

 **Sorry for the delay there was a serious problem. A little while ago my computer stopped working and I lost a lot of things so I had to re-write a lot of chapters. Another problem I had was that I had only just re-written chapters for this story and I had to try and remember what happened in the chapters and try to remember what I had written.**

 **There is only going to be 10 chapters to this story, meaning there is only 2 chapters left. I'm hoping to have this completed by the end of the month. When this story has been completed there will be more stories coming your way. Arrow stories and others, please keep an eye for them. You will not be disappointed.**

 **As always, don't forget to follow, favourite and review!**


	9. The Goodbye

**Secrets & Lies  
Chapter 9  
** **The Goodbye**

 **Felicity  
** When I first arranged to have that talk with Laurel, I'll admit that I was dreading it and I wanted it to be over the second she arrived at my door but I'm glad we had our talk. She didn't excuser her actions in anyway and she didn't try and make it sound like it was all his fault, she took equal blame. She apologised, admitted she was wrong and she held her hands up to everything. I was expecting her to try make excuses or blame everything on Oliver but she didn't and that surprised me. I think it's going to be a very long time before I trust her again and accept her as any sort of friend but we had a chance to clear the air and that really helped, I think it helped both of us actually. She told me she understands what I'm going through because of her past history with Oliver and she can't believe she did it to me. Laurel was reasonable and said she would understand if I never wanted to talk to her again or be around her but she did ask if I would consider coming back to team Arrow as it wasn't the same without me.

I loved team Arrow and I have been through a lot with them and seen so many different changes and helped out with so many different cases. It was a tough choice turning my back on the team and keeping away from it but it's what I need to do. I haven't forgiven Laurel and Oliver for what they did, I still have so much anger towards both of them and the last thing I need to see is Laurel in her skin tight outfit and Oliver with his muscles out and them being around each other. I'm doing this for my own sanity. I don't want Laurel or Oliver to get hurt but do I really want to see them caring for each other out in the field if one of them gets into trouble? Do I really want to see Oliver stitching up Laurel after she gets hurt? I really do not want to see them together again and asking them to move away from team arrow is wrong of me. Oliver is the founder of the team and it's all down to him this started and Laurel is out there beating up the bad guys. Also, I know if we asked Laurel to stay away from the team she would just sneak out there.

Right now I feel alone and although Oliver is around every spare second he can get and he's working hard to try and get things back on track, I just don't feel like I have anyone to talk to about any of this. Since the whole thing happened everyone has pretty much kept their distance as they don't want to get involved or be seen as taking sides, which I get. I just wish someone was here that I could talk to and someone that would listen and let me rant. The only person who I knew would answer the phone if I called would be my mother and I really don't think speaking to her is the best thing to do. She'll just tell me 'I told you so' all men are worthless, no man can be trusted and no man is good enough for me.

Believe me there are times that I've wanted to tell Oliver that I don't want anything to do with him anymore because I can't get over what he did but then I think about all the good times with Oliver, I know that we can have them again. This is just a rocky patch that we're going through and we'll be able to get through it… I hope. Some couples have been through so much worse and they've come out the other side and led happy lives with one another. That's what I tell myself anyway but I don't know if I'll get my happy ever after, maybe it's just not in the cards for me but I will never forgive myself if I don't try. I don't like questioning what if… I've done it once before and it nearly drove me insane.

Oliver knows that if he steps another toe out of line with me then he's gone for good.

My phone started ringing, I looked at the caller ID and saw Oliver's name flashing up. Speak of the devil.

"Hi" I said as I answered.

"Hi" He replied "Look I need to come and talk to you about something. Is it ok if I come over?" He asked.

"Yeah I'm home. The door's unlocked so just let yourself in" I told him.

"Ok, I'll be over in a few minutes" He said.

I wonder what he has to talk to me about? I hope it's not bad news, I don't think I can take anymore bad news. Lots of things were going through my head.

Was it about team Arrow?  
Was it about Laurel?  
Was it about Oliver?  
Was it about one of my friends?  
Has someone from our past come back to haunt us?  
He didn't sound happy when he called, it sounded like something serious.

The door knob turned and I looked up to see Oliver walk in. I was sitting at the table with my laptop trying to get on with some work but I closed the lid of the laptop as Oliver came and sat down opposite me. He gave me a smile that told me he was nervous and put his hands on the table.

"What's the matter?" I asked him.

"Nothing's the matter so to speak. There's just something I wanted to tell you" He said.

"What is it?"

"We got a distress call from Sara. She's in a lot of trouble. Laurel and Thea are going to go help her but I don't think Laurel is going to come back. She said she missed her sister and she feels bad not being there for her and being able to help her, she's leaving tonight" He explained.

"What sort of distress call? Where is Sara?" I questioned panicked.

"She's in China somewhere… I think. Laurel managed to get some sort of trace on her. We think is Ras Al Ghul going after her. I think Sara has bitten off a bit more then she can chew" He told me.

"So Laurel's going for good?" I asked.

"Yup" He replied.

"I don't know how to feel about that" I stated.

"I just thought you would want to know, that's all. You don't have to feel anything if you don't want to" He said.

"I just don't think I'm going to miss her as much as you are"

"I'm not asking you to miss her" He replied.

"I don't know what you want me to say. I'm sorry Sara is in trouble and I really hope we can help her but I don't think I'm going to be sorry to see Laurel go, maybe it's a good thing. It will give you and me a real chance to start again without her around and Laurel will get to see her sister and be the superhero she's always wanted to be. Sounds to me like it's the best solution all round" I explained.

"Laurel said she wants to see you before she goes. One last chance to talk" He said.

"She can come over" I replied.

"I know you probably don't want to speak to her but it means a lot to her that you say goodbye"

* * *

Laurel is due to be here any minute and I don't know how I feel about it. I know this is going to be the last time I see her for a long time, I'm sure our paths will cross again but I don't think it will be anytime soon. Apparently Laurel is happy that I've given her this one last chance to talk to me and a final chance to clear the air before she leaves. I wish her all the luck in the world, I know what she did was terrible to do, especially to a friend but I don't want any harm to come to her or Sara. I'm sure the two of them together will be fine and they'll be able to hopefully get the peace they want and live the lives they want to live.

Oliver was still here and this is going to be the first time I've seen them together since and I'm nervous about it. This is the last time the three of us are going to get the chance to set the record straight. I'm sure she doesn't want to leave here without knowing she did everything she could.

The door knocked and Oliver opened it, Laurel stood on the other side with a warm smile on her face "Come in" Oliver said.

The three of us went out to the balcony and looked over Starling.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me again. I just want to apologise again before I leave just in case something happens and I never get to say it again" She said to me.

"I'm sure you and Sara will be just fine. You're both very capable and I do really hope she's ok when you find her" I told her.

"Thank you"

"I'll give you two a minute" Oliver said and made his way back inside, I looked in the window and saw him making coffees in the kitchen.

"I want to say goodbye to you and apologise for everything. I know nothing can ever make up for what I did and I know I've probably destroyed the relationship between you and Oliver. I didn't want to do that. You are a good friend and you didn't deserve that" She told me "I know you don't owe Oliver and I anything but please give him one more chance to prove himself to you. I know he loves you very much. He never looked at me the way he looks at you, he never really planned a future with me like he has with you. Felicity, you are the one he loves" She explained to me.

"I am going to give him once more chance but he knows if he steps another toe out of line then he's done" I told her.

"That's understandable" She replied.

"I really wish you and Sara all the luck in the world" I told her.

* * *

 **One more chapter to go until this story is completed.  
I will post the last chapter on Wednesday.  
Don't forget to review, favourite and follow.**


	10. The Next Chapter

**Secrets & Lies  
Chapter 10  
The Next Chapter (3 Years Later)**

 **Felicity  
** "Oliver!" I called out from the kitchen. I heard him come down the stairs "Are you ready yet? Diggle and Lyla will be any minute" I said to him, I turned around to look him and saw that was clearly not ready. He had on some sweat pants and no shirt, I sighed and rolled my eyes at him "Please can you get dressed Oliver? It's Lyla's birthday, we need to make some sort of effort for her. It's not just a random dinner. You're light blue shirt will look nice" I told him and went back to the cooking.

"Felicity, calm down. Everything will be fine and I will be ready by the time they get here. Do you need me to do anything?" He asked me.

"Lay the table as you're not getting dressed" I replied.

Tonight was Lyla's birthday but we were going to celebrating more then that tonight. Lyla told me last week that she's just found out she's pregnant with baby number 2 and she was going to tell Diggle tonight at dinner. I've been stressing out because I want everything to be perfect for them, I want it to be a magical and beautiful moment when she announces her pregnancy. I know Diggle is going to be so happy when he finds out, he's been wanting another baby for a long time and now he's getting just that. I am so excited for them and I know they'll be great parents again and Sara will be an amazing big sister.

"What glasses do you want out?" Oliver asked.

"The nice ones" I answered and pointed to the cupboard they were in.

I really hope one day that Oliver and I will get the same happy ending that Diggle and Lyla have got. It's been three years since the hiccup with Laurel but we've been working on it and we're just about back on track. I know things are never going to be the same as they were before but that doesn't mean that we can't make it work, we still love each other very much. I don't think I'll ever be as happy with anyone else then what I am with Oliver. I know what he did was wrong and he's never denied that and he's been making up for it ever since it happened. He's been working hard to prove himself and I do truly believe that he loves me and I don't think anything like this will happen again. Oliver knows that he does anything like that again then he's done for good and he's to never contact me again. I know al of people think that I'm a fool for taking him back in the first place but you can't help who you love and everyone is entitled to make one mistake.

Ok I agree Oliver made an enormous mistake but he knows that and he won't do it again. The first year was the hardest, we argued a lot and it was always brought up in arguments. We said hurtful things to each other and I threw him out for the night a couple times but then we made it past that year and we decided that if we wanted to really make it work we had to stop the fighting. The fighting was draining both of us and making us miserable. Being apart for good did cross both our minds but we realised how much we really loved each other and how much we wanted to be together and make it work so we put the fights behind us and made a real go of it.

One day I think Oliver and I will make it down the aisle and we'll have children on our home but I don't think Oliver has any plans to settle down just yet. He's never mentioned marriage or children, a few years ago he said he didn't want children because he was the Arrow and it was too dangerous but I don't know if he still feels the same way. I hope now. I'm starting to get broody and I would love to start a family of my own. We're both stable and happy now. I'm CEO of Palmer Technologies and it's been doing better then ever, profits are skyrocketing and Oliver has left team Arrow and got himself a real job… as a police detective no less. When he quite team Arrow he said he still wanted to help people so he spoke to Lance and between the two of them they managed to get Oliver into training, he passed with flying colours.

He started off in uniform getting all of the terrible tasks that no one else wants to do but his arrest stats were so high and the detectives used Oliver on a couple of cases for assistance, Lance saw how well he was doing and he got promoted. He's just finished his negotiation training to assist in hostage situations. He's doing so well and I am super proud of him. I know he still misses the other life with team Arrow but he knows if they ever need any help then he's just one phone call away and he'll be there the second he can to help them.

I turned to look at Oliver who was concentrating on folding the napkins the way I like, he must have felt me staring because he looked up and I smiled at him "What?" He asked with a grin on his face.

"I love you" I stated.

"I love you too" He replied "What's brought this on?" He asked.

"Nothing. Just wanted you to know is all" I replied and shrugged like it was nothing.

* * *

The front door knocked and I rushed down stairs putting my shoes on and Oliver came down behind me doing up his shirt. When we went upstairs to get changed, we got a little carried away. I made sure Oliver and I were both presentable and then I opened the door with a smile plastered on my face. I greeted both Diggle and Lyla with a hug. Lyla and I shared a knowing smile before going over to the table. Oliver showed Diggle and Lyla were to sit whilst I poured the drinks, I poured red wine for everyone but Lyla. In Lyla's glass I put cranberry juice. It was hard to pour it whilst no one was looking but I managed it.

"Happy birthday Lyla" I said as I put the glass down in front of her.

"Thank you Felicity and thank you for inviting us over for dinner" She replied.

"It's no problem" I said and took a seat next to Oliver.

"How's Sara doing?" Oliver asked.

"She's doing great" Lyla answered.

"She's four going on thirty" Diggle told us and Lyla was holding in a giggle "She told me she's getting a boyfriend when she goes to Kindergarten" He stated.

"Aw how cute" I said and Diggle gave me a look so I looked over at Lyla who started laughing "They all go through that stage Digg. I had lots of boyfriends in Kindergarten" I told him.

"Oh really?" Oliver joked.

"But you're the best boyfriend I've ever had" I said.

The four of us had such an amazing night. It wasn't until tonight that I realised how much I missed Lyla, Diggle and Sara. I haven't seen them in a while and I know life gets in the way of trying to make time to see people but I think we should make more time to see them because they are our best friends. They've been with us every step of the way and have always helped us when we needed it. Whilst we were going through our bad patch they were both there whenever we needed them and they always did their best to put us back together. I guess their hard work paid off.

All too soon it was time for desert and then Lyla was going to tell Diggle that she was pregnant again. I can't wait to see the look on his face! I know Oliver would be excited for his friends too. Maybe tonight when they've gone I can talk to him about the future and where we want to go and what we want from it.

"Before we eat desert, I just want to give Lyla her birthday present" Diggle said. He reached into his pocket and got our a long velvet box. Lyla kissed him in thanks before opening it "It's a charm bracelet. I know you've been after one for a while" He told her.

"Oh John it's perfect!" She exclaimed and kissed him again.

The bracelet was beautiful. It was a rose gold bracelet that had three charms on it; a love heart, a lock and a key. It was so beautiful and the rose gold colour accented her olive skin tone. Diggle has great taste in jewellery.

"I was going to wait until after desert to tell you but…" She paused and looked at me, I smiled and nodded at her "I've actually got something for you" She told Diggle and reached into her pocket and pulled out an envelope, he looked at her confused and opened the envelope. Inside was a scan picture of their baby "We're having another baby" She stated.

"Really?" He asked her looking shocked.

"Yes, I'm pregnant" She told him.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, I looked over at Oliver who was smiling at me. I moved closer to him and grabbed his hand under the table "Congratulations guys. It's amazing news" Oliver said to them.

"Oliver I think you should do your surprise now" Lyla said to Oliver with a knowing smile, I looked between the three of them and they all seemed to be in on the secret, whatever it was.

Oliver stood up from his seat and went upstairs for a couple of minutes before coming down. I couldn't see anything obvious. When he got back to the table he didn't sit down in his seat. He stood in front of me smiling for a minute before he got down on one knee in front of me.

Oh my God!

"Felicity. I love you very much. There is no one on this planet I would rather be with. You are the only girl for me and I know things have been tough these past few years but believe me when I say I am so in love with you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and only you. Please will you do me the amazing honour of becoming my wife?" He asked and presented me with a beautiful ring.

It was a simple ring but perfect for me. It was a gold back with one square diamond in the middle. The diamond wasn't huge but it wasn't small, it was just right for me.

"Of course I'll marry you!" I exclaimed.

Diggle and Lyla congratulated us as Oliver put the ring on my finger.

I guess it's true what they say, love really does conquer all.

 **THE END...**


End file.
